Omaha daily bee., 1887-12-26
The Author of She.

Lonuon correspondence san Francisco
Chronicle: Mr.. Henry Rider Haggard
was born under one of the luckest stars
which ever twinkled upon a naughty
world. He has not ouly just attained
the age of 81 and are not his novels the
best-read books of the day. not pnly
throughout Europe, but the United
States? If n man with literary nine,
toenth century aspirations has more I'd
desire than this, doubt it.
The Haggards come of good old Nor,
folk family, divided between the calling
OF. county squires and the profes
sion OF marrying when only. Just
out OF their teens both wisely
wisely and we'll. Our friend Henry
family and looked upon as the least
promising Of the flock, and as a contem.
porary quantity puts it, "was destined
for the foreign service on account of his
apparent stupidity" After spending
some misspent time at crammer's with
view to being initiated in sliding
through the civil service commission
lricks into that elevated department an
opportunity offered which led to his
accepting post on the staff of Sir Henry
Bulwer in South Africa. He sub,
sequently accompanied Sir Theophilm
Shepstone on his Transvaal mission and
ohS W iio waiting SplIllS WnO UnerG
hoisted the flag sacred to the name OF
Union Jack, which signiiied the annexa
tion OF the country, aud at the age oi
twenty-one was induced to under.
take the important post of mas
ter of the newly established
high court there. Two years after.
afterward be retired from the ser, ice OF
his country and returned to his Norfolk
home. Before very long II young lady,
not only "healthy, wealthy aud wise"
but pretty" appeared upon the scene,
| gard, and who, Imagining there was
| no field for her husbands martial civil
ardor in England, persuaded him to
| conduct her back with him to Boer
| Land. They arrived there just in time
| to be driven into laager by the trium-
| phant Beers. and when irritated beyond
| bearing with the 'peace and so called
| honor" policy of Mr.. Gladstone, which
sentiments he so admirably illustrates
in jess" he determined to leave for a
| good country where his nationality had
| losts it's prestige. He beganlife afresh,
| and got called to the bar, his first at.
| tempt being to practice in the divorce
court, but as "briefs" came few and
| far between, he determined to try
his fortunes in the pursuit of ''letters.h
So he wrote his first book, inspired by
| "reminiscences of South Africa, which he
| christened "Cctewayo and His White
| Neighbors, u work when is not with
| out some sterling merit, and will one
| day be recognized as containing much
valuable information unobtainable else
| where on the inner history of the an
nexation. TO get this, his first literary
| effort, received by publisher, Rider
Haggard had to part with ESQ, and even
| then nobody would read ''Chetewayo."
| Not discouraged by his fail
ure he commenced another book,
DAWN" which, like the first, was O.
fused by every publisher to whom it was
sent, and gnally, had entirely to be re-
written before finding acceptance. So
great indeed was the unremitting pains
and industry he expended on his second
venture, that his eyesight gave way,
and he was compelled to finish his writ
ing in u darkcned room. And for all
this work he received the paltry sum
of e1O.
These dark days were only the pre-
cursor to the brilliant sunshine Of fame.
Haggard's S next novel, the Witches
Head" ran out of print in n few days,
after which the happy thought having
occurred to him to give the world n boys
book, he produced king Soomon's s
Mines" with what splendid success we
all know full well. Although at the
time a virtually unknown author, he
sold the copyright of the story for ESQ
to Cassell & Co.-not u bad price under
the circumstances.